Clashes break out after bomb blasts kill six people and injure 76 in Cairo

Deadly clashes broke out in the capital and several other cities between pro-Morsi supporters and security forces.

REUTERS: Al Youm Al Saabi Newspaper

Clashes have broken out in the Egyptian capital Cairo involving supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood after a wave of bomb attacks targeting police.

At least six people died in the explosions and 76 more were wounded, officials said.

In the largest attack, a car bomb exploded at a security compound in the city's centre early in the morning and killed at least four people, including three policemen, security sources said.

Officials said the blast was the work of a suicide bomber, but local television footage showed a man getting out of a van minutes before it exploded.

State television quoted witnesses as saying gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on buildings after the explosion.

Three smaller bombs were also detonated, including one in the Dokki district that killed one person and another near a cinema on the outskirts of Cairo, which also led to one fatality.

A militant group called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, or the Champions of Jerusalem, claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Deadly clashes and condemnation

Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters clashed with security forces in Cairo following the bomb attacks, with police using tear gas to quell the unrest.

The violence comes on the eve of the third anniversary of the uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak and raises fears that an Islamist insurgency is gaining pace in Egypt.

The 2011 revolt raised hopes of a stable democracy in the Arab world's biggest nation.

Instead, relentless political turmoil has hit investment and tourism hard in Egypt.

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood are today planning more protests and some government ministers have called for regime supporters to take to the streets as well.

The army-backed government has condemned the bloodshed.

Since coming into power, it has effectively removed the Brotherhood from politics and many Egyptians turned against it after Morsi's troubled one-year rule.

In a statement, prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi said it was an attempt by "terrorist forces" to derail the army-backed government's political road map, which is meant to lead to free and fair elections.

The office of president Adly Mansour also released a statement, saying it would "avenge the deaths of the martyrs" who died at the Security Directorate and severely punish the perpetrators.

Later in the day, a military helicopter flew back and forth over central Cairo, underscoring concerns that another attack could happen at any time.

In Washington, the White House condemned the bombings and urged all sides to avoid violence.

"These crimes should be investigated fully and the perpetrators should be brought to justice," spokesman Jay Carney said.